Simple Pleasures

I am a very grateful lady! I give thanks many times a day, for the love, health, friendship and comfort in my life; for I know what it's like not to have these things.  Perhaps it's my attitude of gratitude that enables me to delight in simple pleasures, but now more than ever I am thankful  for everything that brings a smile or even some happy tears. I think we all need to find gladness wherever we can; so, in the interest of the greater good, I have to share episode 2 of  John Krasinski's "Some Good News" .

Let me start by saying that I honestly don't think the name of the show does it justice, as you'll see at eight and a half minutes into the episode. While John is talking to a little girl named Aubrey, about how sad she was that she wasn't able to go see "Hamilton" because of the pandemic, Lin-Manuel Miranda and the entire original cast of "Hamilton" Zoom bombed the segment and performed "Alexander Hamilton!!"

I was thrilled by the performance, because my girls and I have been obsessed with the show since it opened on Broadway.  We purchased the soundtrack (which we hadn't done in years) and listened to it relentlessly. So much so, that i'll confess we're a bit snobbish about other cast performances and we've even debated if we actually wanted to go see the show; because we thought we might be disappointed. (I know - that's a lil extreme, but remember, we're obsessed!) So to have the opportunity to watch the original cast members perform, was beyond incredible!  We squealed with glee as each of our favorite actors appeared on the screen. We sang along and I cried the happiest tears as these amazing human beings sang for Aubrey and everyone who needed uplifting.

While there are so many hardships and challenges that our society is facing during COVID-19, I think it's also been amazing to see how creative and generous the entertainment community has been during this crises. I'm so appreciative of the efforts and kindness shown by John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda et al, as well as those that participated in the Saturday Night Seder, the zoom table read of  "The Nanny" pilot, Tom Hanks and the cast of "SNL from home" and of course the numerous late night talk show hosts that continue to provide us with fun diversions.   We're being given an opportunity to take a time out, and reassess how we've been interacting with friends and family, and strengthen those relationships. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I am enjoying this pandemic, but I will admit that I've had a lot of wonderful and rewarding experiences.  I'm choosing to acknowledge the good stuff; so before we go to sleep I ask each of my kids to tell me one good thing about their day.  I'm hoping that you'll watch the link that I shared and this will at least be one good thing about your day.

Till next time...
Paige

The Image Maker

First and foremost, I hope that everyone is safe and healthy! I'm very grateful that my family is doing well and all together under one roof.
At the beginning of March, my fam was on an all time high!  We'd been receiving a lot of great news and big wins!  Kelsie had done a fantastic job in her school's production of "Mulan" the musical, Nicky was offered a summer research position at Duke University, and Lyndzi was accepted into all 5 of the schools that she applied to, was awarded scholarships for full tuition and fees at California College of the Arts and won a $2000 leadership scholarship from our school district.  Luis had been excelling at his job! He was top in sales for his region and was being monetarily rewarded (FINALLY!)  Then Nicky came home for his spring break and life as the U.S. knew it, started to change.  We first started feeling the effects when The UA extended Spring Break for a few days. Then they announced that classes would temporarily be online only. It seems like it was just a minute later, that they announced that classes would be online only for the rest of the semester and that anyone that was living on campus, should move out if they had a place to go. Resident Assistants were given the option to return and they were advised that it would not be held against them for next year, if they decided not to come back; but Nicky felt that he had an obligation to fulfill and he returned to school. After a week and a half they started consolidating the dorms and Nicky's community manager told him that he had more than completed his commitment; so we picked him up on Saturday and he'll finish the semester at home.
Despite all of the changes, quarantines, cancellations and lack of toilet paper, I've tried to remain optimistic and provide encouragement and comfort to others. It crossed my mind that writing my blog might be a good way to do this, but I wasn't ready to get started.  Then I saw a Facebook post from our friends at the Sun City Thrift shop, asking for good vibes and positive thoughts. They're so used to helping the community and interacting with people, that closing down was really bumming them out and I wanted to give them what they needed and show them how much I appreciate all that they do.  I've been creating a lot images with photos and fonts for our DJ gigs, thank you and birthday messages, so I made an image "Sending Good Vibes & Positive Thoughts" and left it as a comment for them.  I designed a slightly different version of this image for my amazing friend Rachel, because

I thought she needed a little lift and as I care so much about (say it with me) "The greater good", I decided  to share it on Instagram because I thought that others might like to see it too. I wrote "For everyone who needs it...xo" and I added some hashtags. Now I am absolutely not the Queen of Instagram, in any way shape or form. In fact, even after being on it for a few years I still barely know how to use it. My posts typically receive 5-30 "likes"; but yet I persist, because I want to share my positivity, especially during these unprecedented and uncertain times.
I found it cathartic to look for photos and produce messages so I continued.

For my second Instagram post I wanted to find a beautiful picture of nature. A breathtaking photo that transported you outdoors, where you were able to revel in the beauty and take the most cleansing breaths imaginable. I shared "Just Breathe" and wrote "Sometimes this is all we can do... Sending positive vibes, love and prayers for all who need it. xo" and added some hashtags.
The next day I heard from some more friends who were feeling anxious and down, so I posted "Believe" with the  message "For those who need a little uplifting today..." and, you guessed it, added some hashtags.

I felt like I was on the right track, even though my messages weren't reaching the masses and I felt like I wanted to dig a little deeper with my next post. I looked for a photo of a lotus blossom and shared " Because You Can."

I wrote " Even when its roots are in the dirtiest waters, the lotus produces the most beautiful flowers." I added some hashtags (of
course), and actually got an encouraging comment from someone
that I don't know; so I kept going.

A few days later, I decided to look for a photo that would connect
me with my other senses. I shared "Stress Relief" and wrote "I love
the scent of Orange Blossoms. Their intoxicating fragrance makes me smile and thoroughly relaxes me. While we're all at our homes

I  hope that you can find a scent that will uplift your spirits when you need it."  Still hoping to connect with more people, I added some hashtags.

Next came "Strength."  I wrote "I think it's delightful that the delicate Gladiolus is a symbol of strength and overcoming difficulties in life.
I'm sharing this image today as both Lyndzi and Nicky received some disappointing news this afternoon and I just felt terrible for both of them. I know that there is nothing that I can do to change either situation as both cancellations that effect them are COVID-19 related; so I looked for some beautiful images of strength to lift my spirits. If you need it, I hope this image encourages you too. xo" and some hashtags.

Now, just as the beginning of March brought the Ramos' an abundance of good news, the end of March kept beating us down.  Thus, I shared "Perspective"  and wrote "My mood today is not the best. I felt angry, frustrated and annoyed (not quarantine related.) I thought getting creative might make me feel better, and when I considered what type of image went along with these emotions, I immediately thought 'I'm seeing red!!' So follow my thought process here...I went from looking for a photo that had a red overlay, to an image of a red eye, and then I realized, I should look for red images that would make me feel happy. I started looking at flowers and I felt more relaxed. My mood lightened. Ultimately the image that I liked best was this Red Dhalia. When I researched further, I found that the Dhalia symbolizes elegance, inner strength, creativity, dignity and change. This convinced me that i'd found the right red image to change my mood. It's all about PERSPECTIVE! 
These days more than ever, I hope that you are able to be flexible with your perspective . Find ways to soothe yourself and keep your outlook positive. I hope this helps..." and some hashtags that only garnered 17 "likes"

As I was writing my post to accompany "Perspective", I knew that the place that I really should be sharing it was here on "The Bumpy Ride."  And while this introductory or catch up blog is much longer than those you may see in the future; I think the time and the cause have finally driven me back to where my insights might do the most good.  With that being said, the next image that i'll be sharing on Instagram, is "New Beginnings" (the first one featured in this post), but I'll be directing my traffic to "The Bumpy Ride" for the thoughts behind the images.  I hope you'll be joining me.

Till next time...
Paige